The Moment
by Arcadia Eclipse
Summary: Egon has discovered his feelings for Ray but with a new ghost in town will they ever have alone time?  Egon/Ray
1. Chapter 1

_Warnings_: Slash (EgonxRay), angst, language, hurt/comfort and sexual situations ahead.

**~ * ~ The Moment ~ * ~**

Chapter One

_By Arcadia Eclipse_

Sadly, running into a semi-aquatic, neurotoxin-spewing demon spawn was actually becoming more and more common in their line of work these days. This particular spirit was mostly turtle-shaped and seemed quite fond of reaching inside its shell at random intervals and pelting its victims with the sticky plasma beneath that bubbled and burned slightly on contact with human skin. Worse still was the painfully shrill note to its laughter as the ghost whirled over their heads before taking cover in the nearest water fountain, sink or other plumbing system. Although still dripping some of the viscous sludge from his left arm and shoulder Peter seemed able to cope with the current situation at least until their latest tangle with the ghost had it taking refuge in an abandoned toilet.

"I swear to God, Spengs, this thing had better not come at me again. That toilet looks like it was condemned in 1960!"

"I think Ray got the worst of it, Venkman."

Although the youngest was keeping any complaints to himself, Ray did seem to be hunched over a little more than usual, hugging both arms about his sopping wet body and appeared to be sweating and shivering at the same time although it was difficult to see with the translucent ooze running down his body in slow rivulets.

"It…I t-think…my clothes 're...melting."

"Alright, that's it." Winston readied his proton pack and furtively looked around trying to mask his nervousness with anger. "I am NOT getting my ass handed to me by a toilet ghost!"

"I believe it's a type of 'kappa'- a Shinto water spirit common in Saga prefecture, although I'm not certain how it got into the New York water supply. It has a concave head filled with water, and legend says this enables it to- "

"-Save the cultural lessons, Spengs. I'm with Winston on this one. How's it goin', Tex? You holding up okay?" Peter clapped one hand on Ray's back sending the slime-covered doctor to his hands and knees purging the contents of his stomach upon the floor right beside Peter's boots. "Great! Glad you're feeling better. Looks like this stuff has some nasty side-effects, Egon."

There were very few things in Spengler's life that took precedence over studying the paranormal. Unbeknownst to his team members, Ray's health fell into that top-concern category whereas his own and that of both Peter and Winston was a far and distant seven or eight on his list of priorities. Crouching beside his fallen friend Egon's brow creased with concern, but he was gentle in unhooking the containment trap from Ray's back, ignoring the noxious ooze that now clung to his fingertips and left the flesh reddened and burning slightly. The expression on Ray's face combined with the sweating, trembling and now delirium-inducing pain washing off of his best friend in tangible waves was enough to set Egon's blood to an angry boil like he had never before experienced in all their days of tracking and trapping ghosts.

The sudden high-pitched laughter behind them just added fuel to the fire, but as Egon stood slowly to face the scaly water spirit now charging at them the parapsychologist released the nozzle of his proton pack in favor of standing tall with his hands down and palms flat on his thighs. Winston stared, Peter gaped, but the spirit stopped and instead mimicked Egon's every motion- standing tall with its webbed hands pressed flush to its thighs. Slowly, Egon bent at the waist to grant the demon a deep, respectful bow and the kappa soon followed suit although afterwards it appeared to be frozen in place leaving Egon to straighten again without the slightest hint of fear or nervousness then approach the demon to set the trap at its feet.

"You can capture him now."

"…What just happened here, Spengs?"

Egon had already moved to ease one of Ray's arms over his own shoulders and help his half-conscious friend stand, but seeing as how Winston and Peter were standing there uselessly and the demon remained frozen among them perhaps an explanation was due to help move things along.

"I tried to tell you before. Kappas have concave heads that store water to keep them strong and powerful when they are away from a viable source. Even for your typical Japanese demon, they are strict observers of etiquette and if you bow to one it must bow in return. If it bows then the water spills and its strength is gone."

That seemed to be enough for Winston to proceed with discharging his pack and trapping the noxious creature, but Peter trailed along behind Egon's retreating figure not seeming to notice or at least to care that Egon was bearing nearly all of Ray's weight in the process of getting their partner to Ecto-1. Far worse for the bespeckled doctor, however, was Peter's words and the condescending drawl that seemed to permeate every vowel.

"Egon, did you ever stop to think that maybe, just maybe this information would be nice to share with the rest of the class before we put our asses on the line?"

"It was just a hunch, Venkman."

"Ahh, 'just a hunch'. And your hunches have never saved us before, right?"

Egon was struggling to get Ray into the back seat and buckled in, though it seemed to be a moot point with the seatbelt slowly sizzling and dissolving away much like the uniform still clinging somehow to the younger man's body stubbornly. There were more and more holes permeating the fabric by the second though, and now Egon's worry for Ray's safety shifted to concern that perhaps more flesh than his friend might want to reveal could be on display very soon. It was hard to sustain a sense of privacy when living in such close quarters together, but each of them had his own limits and only Peter was open and carefree about walking around their shared bedroom in the nude on a regular basis.

Now that Ray was secured in the back seat, Egon hastened to the front only to find Venkman already in the driver's seat with a self-satisfied smirk and his hands pressed gleefully to the wheel. Usually Ray was their designated driver but tonight the youngest seemed a little impaired and even Egon was not in the mood to waste time arguing Peter out of his self-proclaimed role as their chauffer for the evening. Not when Winston was jumping into the back beside Ray and that left Spengler as the only one holding up the process of getting the hell out of there. Surprisingly the four of them made it back to the lab alive, although Ray was worse for wear and barely able to speak let alone walk up the stairs to their shared bedroom and the bathroom within.

"I call dibs on first shower!"

"Ray needs the shower now, Venkman."

For a moment it looked like Peter wanted to argue his claim over the bathroom, but Ray's knees suddenly gave out and it took all of Egon's strength to catch his friend before the other man cracked his head open on the cement floor. Exhaustion permeated every ounce of the parapsychologist's flesh now and it was a struggle just to support Ray's fallen body, but Egon determinedly pulled Stantz to feet again and somehow managed to drag the slime-covered doctor into the bathroom with him, kicking the door shut in Peter's face after reminding him curtly that there was yet another shower in the basement lab to be used for chemical burns and other scientific emergencies.

It occurred to Egon that he didn't exactly know whether this substance would react negatively when introduced to water, but there weren't a lot of other options and given Ray's current state he didn't think that the younger Ghostbuster would enjoy being covered in ooze for the hours that it would take Egon to perform a barrage of tests. For his partner's sake, the scientist heaved Stantz onto the shower floor and turned the water on him before collapsing outside the shower utterly exhausted. Ray was still barely conscious but at least his breathing had steadied a bit. It was an improvement, though at this rate Stantz would be lying there long after the hot water had given out still trying to recover his sensibilities. Egon sighed. If the fatigue didn't kill him at least he would sleep well that night.

Kicking off his boots and carefully removing his uniform to preserve some of the slime that had transferred from Ray's ooze-covered body, Egon left it in the sink for later analysis and proceeded into the shower with his best friend. There was no point in asking Ray to undress seeing as how the younger man could barely sit up himself, but Spengler was efficient and made quick work of removing his partner's shoes, uniform, briefs- everything that stood between Ray and the sanity-restoring water pouring down on them both in a warm rush.

"E…gon?"

At last! It looked like Stantz was finally coming around.

"You were slimed, Ray. Hold onto my shoulders, we're going up."

The younger scientist's hands shook a little and Ray's grip was tentative at best but he followed Spengler's command and that in itself was a good sign that he was recovering from the ordeal. Most victims of a Class-C neuro-sliming couldn't respond correctly to instructions for at least twenty-four hours. Perhaps repeated slimings had caused Ray to build up a bit of a resistance to ectoplasmic radiation or at least ensured him a quicker recovery time? It was a fascinating prospect. Egon was certain that the idea of an acquired slime immunity would excite Ray to no end once his friend was back to his usual sprightly self.

For now, Egon just mused over the possibilities and the tests needed to confirm such a theory while his arms remained locked around the other scientist's waist in an effort to hold Ray upright in the shower spray until his friend's body was no longer threatened by the noxious ooze. As the minutes ticked by Stantz appeared to be more and more aware of his surroundings and was even able to recall bits and pieces of what happened leading up the point that he was doused in the neurotoxic slime. By the time that the water started to run cold he was even standing mostly on his own although Egon's arms continued to steady him in the event that the younger man's balance was still a bit off.

"It's getting..c..cold, Egon."

"Yes. Do you think you can stand on your own?"

Slowly Ray's eyes drifted downwards to where Egon's arms wound about his naked waist helping to hold the younger Ghostbuster upright although he was mostly capable of supporting his own weight now that much of the slime had been washed away. Ray blinked then suddenly jolted, his eyes locking onto those of his friend with an expression bordering on panic. Egon felt his stomach sink picturing just how suggestive they must look at the moment with Ray in the nude and Egon clutching him wearing nothing but his water-soaked briefs and knee socks.

"Egon…did you…?" Ray paused, chewing his lip worriedly. "You saved some of the slime for us to analyze, right?"

That was the moment Egon Spengler realized that he was in love.

~ * ~ To Be Continued ~ * ~


	2. Chapter 2

_Warnings_: Slash (EgonxRay), angst, language, hurt/comfort and sexual depictions ahead. If you don't like slash/gay fanfiction I suggest not reading this.

_Disclaimer_: I do not own _Ghostbusters_ or its characters and I make no money from my fanfiction.

Thanks to Strudelcutie427 for being my beta reader!

**~ * ~ The Moment ~ * ~**

Chapter Two

_By Arcadia Eclipse_

In all the mayhem caused by the kappa and Ray's subsequent sliming Egon completely forgot that he had agreed to go with Ray to the younger man's childhood home that weekend for a much-needed vacation. Spengler was dedicated to the pursuit of scientific study and any time away from the firehouse and their basement laboratory just seemed like a setback to his research. Ray generally was of the same mindset, but somehow the thought of visiting his family home for the first time in nearly a year gave him a reason to give into Peter's incessant nagging and agree that they all deserved a few days off from work.

Egon, quite simply, was outvoted by the others and that meant a wasted weekend accomplishing nothing at all. The only upside was leaving the city for a while and spending the weekend alone with the one man who he had just yesterday decided held a not-so-professional place in his heart. He was glad that Ray was back to his usual chatty self over breakfast, one hand shoveling cereal into his mouth while the other clasped his first of many cigarettes for the day. Maybe this vacation wouldn't be a complete waste of time after all.

"Before we leave I'd like to run some tests on you, Ray."

"I don't have to masturbate while you take notes again, do I?"

Peter started choking on his coffee and this time even Egon was wishing that Ray had kept some of their research a little more private. He didn't pitch the idea to Stantz as something shameful and secretive, of course, but he did tuck the files containing their test data into the very farthest reaches of their filing cabinet and he didn't expect either Winston or Peter ever went through their test records anyway. Still, the question rather caught him off guard and unfortunately Venkman regained his senses first.

"Come again, Ray? What did Spengs have you do?"

"I masturbated with the mood slime. Well, not WITH the mood slime, but it was in a jar next to me and…well, we were testing the psycho-reactive qualities of the slime when introduced to different types of human emotion. We did all kinds of things- played heavy metal music, shouted at the slime a little, tried to sneak up on it with loud noises and then we used shock therapy on the jar and-"

"-And at some point you masturbated to it?"

"Er…" Ray slowly stubbed out his cigarette, starting to wish he hadn't said anything with the others around. "Well, yes. We were testing how the slime reacted to pleasure."

"Egon asked you to do this?"

"He recorded the slime's reaction and took notes. It was fascinating, Venkman. It sort of undulated and quivered almost like it could feel everything that I-"

"-So there's a video tape of this somewhere, Spengs?"

Egon didn't like where this was going and if the smirk on Peter's face was any indication of their friend's train of thought then the engine needed to be derailed immediately.

"I destroyed the tape after Vigo was contained."

"Mmhmm. Sure you did." The suspicious look Peter gave him only succeeded in making Egon more tense and uptight about his research than usual.

When he played back the footage with Ray after the fact the youngest was over-eager and amazed to see the results, whereas Spengler found it difficult to observe yet again the raw emotion so cleanly etched on his partner's face in the throes of self-pleasure. The initial observation was uncomfortable for all the wrong reasons, and watching the tape a second…a third…a twelfth time didn't seem to help ease the parapsychologist's frustration with how his body reacted to watching his best friend masturbate. By the twentieth viewing Egon wasn't even focused on the jar of slime anymore as it quivered and quaked but instead his eyes were trained only on Ray and how the younger man bit his bottom lip and his brow creased in pleasure when stroking himself.

Egon cleared his throat, mentally ordering his budding erection to cease and desist.

"I wanted to run some blood and skin cell tests to determine whether there exists a possibility of building a resistance to ectoplasmic radiation and the toxins that we encounter in various slime deposits. That was a class nine semi-aquatic toxic geist that slimed you, Ray. Your recovery time was unusually quick."

"It's a fantastic theory, Egon. I really think we should bring some extra equipment with us so we can test my ectoplasmic radiation levels for the next few days, and did you want to run another scan of my brainwaves to see if anything's changed since last month?"

"I think that's a good idea, Ray."

"No, that's a BAD idea, Ray. We almost never take vacation, and you guys agreed to cover next week for me and Winston if we covered for you this weekend, remember?"

Egon was about to remind Peter that they were all adults and how he and Ray chose to spend their vacation time was their decision, but this time even Winston chimed in, much to the parapsychologist's chagrin.

"He has a point, guys. When was the last time you two left all the science and mechanical stuff behind and just relaxed for a change?"

Neither Ray nor Egon could answer that, which in itself should have been a sign that they were both way overdue for some rest and relaxation. It was Ray's idea to spend the weekend at his family home in Islip. Now that the Ghostbusters were doing well again the youngest had only just last month managed to pay off the ridiculous mortgage that Peter had talked him into so they could finance their operation originally. It probably would have remained outstanding indefinitely had Janine not given Egon the letter that she found in the firehouse mailbox declaring the Stantz family home was going into foreclosure if he made another late payment. Of course Venkman complained about not having funds for his dream Tahiti vacation, but the look of unspoken relief on Ray's face when Janine organized their financial records and handed him the check to finally pay off his bank loan was like a weight had been lifted from the youngest Ghostbuster's shoulders.

In celebration, Ray had invited all of them out to his Long Island home for vacation but only Egon accepted. For some reason Winston wanted to spend his time off with his family and Peter preferred southern latitudes brimming with women wearing nothing but a tan.

"You sure you guys don't want to come?"

"Any chance your sister might stop on by?"

"Not likely." Ray shook his head solemnly. Family was always a touchy subject ever since the death of his parents. "Jean is still living with her girlfriend out in California last I heard, and I haven't even spoken to her or my brother in three years."

"Carl is a right-wing, Republican nut-job and I'm pretty sure he hates me, Ray. Like genuine, cosmic-sized, unrestrained, wish-it-were-legal-for-me-to-kill-you hate. "

"Yeah, but he means it in the nicest way, Venkman. Really."

Somehow it wasn't a convincing argument, and that left Egon as his only companion for the hour-long trip to Ray's childhood home in Islip. His parents had owned a rather nice house in the Long Island suburbs up until their untimely deaths a few years earlier, but although the youngest Ghostbuster inherited the home he made little use of it except as collateral for the firehouse mortgage that was still in his name. A fine layer of dust coated nearly everything from furniture to the appliances, but it didn't seem to bother him. There was something almost magical about being home again after all this time.

The house itself didn't hold any sentimental meaning for Egon, but in walking down the long corridors and peering into each room in turn he eventually located what appeared to be a large Stantz family photograph from many years earlier and it gave him pause. He assumed that the elderly couple was Ray's grandparents and the frowning man in the center was probably Ray's father with his young, auburn-haired trophy wife at his side. The children were his main interest, however, and now it was just a matter of determining which one was his friend. The older boy had a strong, square jaw and there was a no-nonsense look in his eyes- almost like he regarded the cameraman with contempt. Directly to his left however was a smaller boy with a dreamy, far-away expression and his eyes were focused somewhere off to the side while everyone else looked straight ahead at the viewer. Egon could barely contain the smile threatening to crack his stoic demeanor at any moment as he pointed to the dreamy-eyed child.

"You?"

"Yeah. Just after my eighth birthday."

"You know, you look rather-"

"-Pretty spaced-out, I know. Everyone says that about this picture."

"Actually," Egon interjected, removing his glasses to wipe the lenses idly. "I was going to say you were extremely cute." He replaced the glasses on his face to better observe Ray's response to that little declaration, but his partner just stood there blinking at him and that in itself was almost enough to wring a sly smile from Egon's lips. Almost. "You haven't changed much, you know."

The younger scientist stood silently for a moment struggling to figure out whether he had just heard correctly that his partner thought that he was cute. It was insane and so not in character for Egon to say something like that out of the blue. After giving it a bit of thought, Ray couldn't help the soft chuckle bubbling up from deep in his chest. Obviously this was Spengler's odd attempt at humor.

"Really? You think I'm still super cute?"

"Yes."

The word sounded so definitive on his partner's lips that this time Ray seemed a little taken aback by such an emphatic response. Instead of recoiling however the younger man just rubbed the back of his head idly- an unconscious response that Egon witnessed only on rare occasions when the younger brunette was futilely trying hard to hide his embarrassment. The silence seemed deafening between them, but it was only a minute or so before Stantz flashed his partner an amused little grin.

"Didn't know you swung that way, Doctor Spengler." He kept waiting for his friend to break into laughter or at least smirk so they could enjoy this joke together, but the older man remained serious when regarding him and it was Ray who finally averted his gaze to the wooden flooring beneath their feet. "Well shoot, this is awkward."

"I'm sorry."

"No, I don't mean it that way…" Ray trailed off. This was just like the time his sister came out to the whole Stantz family during Thanksgiving dinner. "You're not…interested in me…are you?"

Again Egon met his fellow Ghostbuster's question with an affirmative silence that had the younger man leaning his back to the wall and slowly sliding down to sit on the floor below. This was an awful lot of information to absorb and Egon was starting to feel a touch of guilt for dumping everything on his friend all at once.

"I'm so sorry, Ray."

"Egon, I'm not…"

"…Gay?"

"I'm not…sure."

For a moment Spengler swore his heart skipped a beat. 'Not sure' meant that his friend had at least contemplated his sexuality, he just hadn't come to a definitive answer one way or the other yet. Although Ray's uncertainty meant that he had a chance, the parapsychologist knew that he couldn't simply assume that the younger man would be interested in him of all people. Egon wasn't much in love with himself; he hardly expected another human being, let alone another man, to be interested.

The longer that Ray sat there silently the more Egon's complicated brain whirled coming up with one excuse after the other for why his partner would never in a million years want to give him a chance. It caught him off guard when the younger man suddenly raised one hand up towards him as if he wanted Egon to help him stand; but when the bespectacled doctor grasped it he instead gently drew Egon down to sit beside him on the floor, and afterwards Ray even allowed his hand to linger in Spengler's grasp, perhaps looking to test the homosexual waters a bit. Egon's grip remained gentle and warm the whole time, and only when Ray sighed and leaned against him a bit did he tip his head to regard the brunette's where it lay on his shoulder.

He wanted this. Egon had spent the majority of their drive to the Stantz family home imagining just how soft and warm those constantly-grinning lips would feel pressed against his, but the scientist paused with his mouth mere centimeters away from his friend', his eyes still locked onto the younger man's questioningly.

"Ray…what would you do if I kissed you right now?"

"I don't know."

"Well, how do you think you would feel about it?"

"Confused."

Not exactly the reaction that Spengler was hoping for, but Ray's hesitance was probably to be expected.

Peter had come down to Egon's basement laboratory late one night after a long evening spent drinking and carousing in a local bar only to disclose that his best friend, Ray Stantz, was practically a virgin, having had only two girlfriends to date. Why Ray shared his sex life with Peter Venkman of all people Egon didn't know, but the other scientist revealed that their fellow Ghostbuster had slept with each of his girlfriends only one time- in both instances Ray's ineptitude in bed apparently leading to the unfortunate breakup. Stantz probably didn't know that Peter had revealed his private sex life to Egon, but fear of repeating the past could certainly explain his hesitance with getting involved again.

"I'm not very good at this," Egon started, hoping this was the best way to lead off and set his friend at ease, "but I care about you more than anyone, Ray. I really wish you'd let me show you."

Waiting for a response was like torture, but ultimately the brunette offered a small smile and even nodded for the older man to continue. Funny, now that Egon had the go-ahead he wasn't really sure what would be the best way to proceed. Never having been with another man made the task a bit daunting, but there was a formula to everything in nature, even fornication, and he knew that it was impossible to reach the final stages in any experiment before taking the very first step.

Gently so as not to make the younger Ghostbuster rescind his offer Spengler shifted and reached up to rest his hands lightly on each side of Ray's jaw to steady both men as his lips descended on his partner's in a tender first kiss. It was everything that the older man had expected, and yet his body grew even more heated when Ray's arms unexpectedly wound around his shoulders willing their bodies to remain close even after their lips parted for much-needed air. If Egon noticed that the other scientist's breathing had become more ragged he didn't comment on it, far too focused on pressing his lips into the crook of his partner's shoulder and neck alternately kissing and nuzzling the flesh there fondly. He could feel one of Ray's hands shift from his shoulders to instead tangle lightly into the older man's hair as if urging Egon not to stop laving affection on his more-sensitive skin, and yet from the way that Ray's fingers remained tense combined with the warmth now emanating from his burning cheeks the older Ghostbuster could tell that regardless of them both being grown men engaged in consensual contact this still really embarrassed his friend.

"We don't have to do anything you don't want to."

"Egon, I've been celibate for eight years and not completely by choice." The embarrassment was still there in Stantz's voice but this time it was overshadowed by something much more interesting. Could that be…lust? Even if Egon wasn't certain by listening to his friend's husky words the gentle eyes that regarded him now betrayed a wealth of emotion. "Not to sound like Venkman here, but if I had my way we'd probably already be naked and in a bed somewhere studying whether of the human body can actually bend into a pretzel."

This time the older Ghostbuster couldn't contain his smirk.

"I think that's an amazing suggestion, Ray."

"Yes, but we're not even dat-"

"-We're best friends, we've been partners for years, I've willingly put my life on the line to keep you safe more times than I can count, and Ray…" he trailed off just long enough to wrap one arm around the other man's shoulders and draw him in a bit closer, "knowing you and spending the time together theorizing and inventing all that we do have been the best years of my life."

Egon's heartfelt words must have moved his partner enough to at least forgo further embarrassment and stand, grabbing hold of Spengler's hand and flashing him a grin before bodily dragging his partner up from the floor and down the hall towards his old bedroom. In all their years together spent studying the paranormal Egon had never seen Ray like this- smirking and shoving his older friend backwards onto the mattress then climbing atop him and pinning Egon's hands near the headboard. This was unexpected and a bit unnerving and…so incredibly hot.

"Tell me, Doctor Spengler," Ray released his friend's hands to instead rake his short nails teasingly down the vest covering Egon's torso, "did you ask me to jerk off with the psychomagnotheric slime because you wanted to study the slime or was it me that you were interested in studying?"

"Perhaps a bit of both," Egon admitted.

He probably could have come up with something much more eloquent but it was terribly distracting watching Ray shrug off his jean jacket then peel the T-shirt from his own body before setting to work on divesting Egon of whatever layers stood between his questing hands and skin-on-skin contact. It was exceedingly awkward and more than once he heard the other brunette muffle a laugh in the process of both men fumbling and struggling to get each other into a viable position to strip themselves completed naked.

"This always seems much more erotic in movies."

"I expect that those scenes are completely choreographed, Ray. Anything clumsy gets edited out."

"At the rate we're going I think our whole sex tape would end up on the cutting room floor."

"Oh, I don't know," Egon smiled, wrapping his arms around Ray to drag him down for another kiss. "I'd certainly watch it."

"I didn't know you liked watching porn, Doctor Spengler."

"I've been known to occasionally study the non-reproductive mating rituals observed by consenting members of the species _Homo sapiens_."

"So you watch porn."

"Occasionally."

Not that watching other people have sex necessarily made Egon more qualified when it came to fornication, but given Ray's rather unfortunate experience with women he figured it might be better to let his partner take control for now. At least this way if it was bad he wouldn't be completely at fault.

"Ray, would it be alright if I-?"

"-Anything."

His emphatic response did take Egon by surprise, especially considering all that Ray had just potentially agreed to. He was half-tempted to fetch some equipment and do a scan of the other man's body and brain just for the humor of it, but they had left everything technical back in the city, and right now there was something much more erotic to attend to. Given Ray's agreement, however, Egon decided to just bite the bullet and gently eased the younger Ghostbuster's legs apart before guiding them around his waist, all the while watching his friend's face for any hint of refusal.

"Anything?"

Ray hesitated for a moment, but the gentleness mixed with Egon's lusty expression seemed to reassure him in a way that words couldn't. The prospect of feeling pain in unnatural places crossed his mind of course, but Ray remained curious and willing enough to offer his friend a slightly crooked smile and lock his ankles around Spengler's waist in response. Now with the older scientist's naked shaft pressed against the soft swell of his bottom he could clearly feel Egon's intimate flesh twitching in response to his unspoken offer and could see that his friend was having trouble speaking. The taller brunette had to clear his throat briefly or risk his voice cracking.

"You're absolutely certain?"

Stantz nodded, and that was really all the consent that Egon Spengler needed at the moment. Well, that and something very important that his lust-clouded brain hadn't considered before.

"Ray, I don't suppose you have condoms and lubricant lying around anywhere."

"Have you met me, Egon? I'm not exactly the type of guy that needs those things regularly."

Evidently they had hit a wall, but the older man was reluctant to pull away from the warm flesh wound so tantalizingly about his waist just teasing him now. Certainly this could have been avoided if Egon had actually dared to dream that Ray might actually consent to such an act. In that case, he could have prepared in advance before they left the city instead of just staring down at the forbidden fruit offered to him so freely when he knew that it was impossible to take a bite.

"Egon," Ray gently inserted himself back into the older man's train of thought, "I've been tested since the last time I did this and I figure you probably have too." He waited until his partner nodded before continuing. "So for the sake of both your sanity and mine, let's just focus on the lubricant issue. I'm sure there are many items in your average household that can double as-"

He never had a chance to finish that thought before Egon was suddenly extracting himself from Ray's legs and hurrying back through the house to the kitchen seeking some suitable type of oil. Barely a few seconds after his departure though Ray heard an unpleasant buzzing sound and one look over the side of the bed confirmed that his friend's phone was ringing while still tucked into the older man's discarded pants. He didn't want to pry, of course, but there was always the chance that their less-qualified coworkers had run into a dead end and needed their help. Eventually the buzzing stopped, however, and any concern that Ray had instantly disappeared the moment that Spengler returned to his bedside with what appeared to be some type of cooking oil and a self-satisfied smirk.

"Spread 'em, Stantz."

"Gee, Egon. Didn't know you were such a romantic."

It must have been an equally long time since Egon's last coupling given the older Ghostbuster's eagerness. Two of the parapsychologist's fingers were already coated in oil and pressing insistently between his partner's cheeks before Stantz could even lie fully back on the bed again. He was overeager, but then so was Ray at this point, and any discomfort from the sudden insertion of those digits into his body was ignored in favor of tugging Egon down for a long, lingering kiss. It was delightfully intimate, at least until Ray's phone started going off and his friend pulled away from his lips to regard the shorter man questioningly. Damn it. Someone had really terrible timing.

"Don't move," Ray ordered just as Egon began to extract his fingers, catching the smirk on his friend's lips as the younger scientist grabbed his pants from the floor and retrieved his cell, flicking it open and biting back a groan as Spengler began thrusting his fingers languidly.

"H-..Hello?"

/Doctor Stantz, do you know where Doctor Spengler is? He's not answering his phone!/

Janine. Of all the people Ray did not want to hear from at the moment.

"He's here."

/Well, Doctor Venkman says it's an emergency and he needs you guys to head back./

For a long moment he squeezed his eyes shut and tried to pretend that this was a wrong number. Out of all the times for something crazy to happen, why now? Why when Egon was nibbling his way down Ray's chest and darting his tongue into the younger man's navel causing his partner's breath to hitch?

"How soon does he n-…need us there?"

/I believe his exact words were 'thirty minutes ago'./

"…Janine, how would you feel about a promotion? You could carry a thirty-five pound positron collider on your back, right?"

/No I could not, and trapping ghosts is definitely NOT in my job description. I just answer the phone, Doctor Stantz. You take care of the messy stuff./

Rational thought had just about let Ray at this point. His pleasure-muddled brain could barely process Janine's words, far too absorbed with the flood of new sensations down south now that Egon was stroking him in earnest with one hand while the other scissored two fingers within Ray's body experimentally.

"Janine, please tell me that this is a joke. I really need to hear those words right now."

/Doctor Stantz,/ she really was starting to sound exasperated with him, /Doctor Venkman is not certain what this thing is and Winston's babbling on and on about an iguana that tried to kill them. Could you please just get back here?/

Staring up at the ceiling with the phone pressed to his ear Ray had to bite back a groan as Egon eased a third finger inside him, stretching the younger man in preparation for something much more substantial than the scientist's long fingers. Still, the sound of Janine calling his name on the other end of the phone and asking if he were listening made it increasingly difficult to enjoy the fingers rubbing him from the inside or the gentle mouth alternatively kissing and nipping at the sensitive juncture of his hip and inner thigh.

Ray didn't believe in God but right now karma was being a bitch.

"Okay, we're leaving now. Should be back in about an hour."

That was the moment Ray Stantz realized that he was starting to hate his job.

~ * ~ To Be Continued ~ * ~


	3. Chapter 3

_Warnings_: Slash (EgonxRay), angst, language, hurt/comfort and sexual depictions ahead.

_Disclaimer_: I do not own _Ghostbusters_ or its characters and I make no money from my fanfiction.

Thanks to Strudelcutie427 for being my beta reader!

**~ * ~ The Moment ~ * ~**

Chapter Three

_By Arcadia Eclipse_

"This had better be important, Venkman. I was just starting to…enjoy myself." Ray darted a glance to where Egon stood beside him hoping to gauge the older man's reaction but the physicist simply arched one eyebrow inquisitively and said nothing. Inwardly however, Egon was using a considerable amount of effort to keep his smirk in check. It had been an awfully frustrating drive back to the firehouse with both men sporting untamed erections for a good thirty miles.

"Well gee, Ray. Glad to see you're all rested and refreshed now."

Although the Ghostbusters were generally accustomed to Venkman's particular brand of sarcasm, Peter seemed a little more petulant today than normal and it was starting to annoy the other three men cursed to endure his company on a daily basis. On good days it took slightly more than some unplanned overtime to fluster the psychologist, but after visiting the Central Park Zoo on a routine call and going head-to-head with a deranged lizard that seemed intent on ripping his face off Venkman was now pouring the pessimism on thick while his friends tried to discuss the situation with level heads.

"Did this lizard actually make physical contact with you, Venkman?"

"Egon, look at my face! You think I get my rocks off maiming myself?"

There were distinct claw marks on Peter's cheek and chin, and this in itself troubled Egon Spengler for more than one reason. In general, the physical harm that your average ghost was capable of inflicting was limited to moving objects or the after-effects of ectoplasmic residue; most ghosts simply didn't possess the ability to strike and harm a human on their own. Even if a ghost wanted to harm someone, taking on a corporeal form capable of inflicting real damage was a feat in itself that only the most powerful non-beings could accomplish. Of all the forms available to it, why would an otherworldly super-ghost choose the body of a lizard?

"If what you're saying is accurate then I don't think the reptile that attacked you is actually a ghost itself. I find it more likely that the lizard was possessed by a more powerful entity that was simply controlling it."

"Great, so you mean to tell me that there's a super-ghost out there that gets its jollies from smiting me? Thanks, Spengs. I feel so much better now." From the tone in Peter's voice it was clear that Egon's comment had absolutely not reassured him in the slightest. "Any chance we can cut the crap and all four of us go hose this thing together now?"

"We still have no idea what we're up against, Venkman."

"It's a ghost! Point and shoot and if its still kicking we cross the streams again, am I right?"

"Don't cross the streams." The 'I've told you this a million times' was unspoken, but Egon's expression did wonders to convey the remainder of his message.

"You said this thing could be another super-ghost, right? Crossing the streams worked for Gozer!"

"It worked because Gozer entered our world through an alternate dimension. The door to his dimension could open both ways or close both ways depending on whether the psychokinetic energy that formed the door initially was being collected or dissipated at any given time. By closing the door we severed Gozer's physical ties to our world."

"You know this story is so much more boring when you tell it, Spengs?"

Ray didn't know when his hands first clenched into fists exactly, but the desire to punch Peter probably manifested itself at some point during the fifty mile drive back from Islip. Although both Doctors Stantz and Spengler were not naturally inclined towards violence in resolving disputes, the unshakable urge to thrust his fist into Venkman's chiseled jaw finally came to a crescendo while watching his best friend torment Egon over his little lizard encounter. The brunette's knuckles cracked quite audibly but only Winston seemed to notice, turning his gaze away from their bickering partners and shooting Ray a questioning look.

"You gonna punch someone?"

"I'm considering it."

Their words must have drifted since Egon actually paused mid-lecture on the monumental dangers of total protonic reversal and instead took notice of his new lover's creased brow, clenched fists and the very un-Ray-like glare being directed towards Peter. It was both off-putting and also immensely endearing at the same time how pissed off Ray had become just from watching Venkman torment the physicist. Cute, but he couldn't exactly allow Stantz to deck his best friend just for being a pain in the ass.

"We don't have enough information about what we're up against, Venkman. I'll check 'Tobin's Spirit Guide' for any references to animal possession. Ray, can you research the Central Park Zoo and see if there are any new exhibits or acquisitions- living or otherwise?" The brunette nodded leaving Egon to turn his attention to both Peter and Winston. "Clean your face up and both of you get some rest. If the animals are this active during the day I really don't want to know what kind of evening encounter we could have, but I'll need you both to take a PKE and Giga Meter to the zoo first thing in the morning. Try to figure out where the strongest ectoplasmic concentrations are located and whether there are any kinetic energy fields that we should know about."

Venkman groaned from the thought of waking at an ungodly hour, but he didn't protest the offer of bed rest. Doctors Spengler and Stantz were generally the most skilled when it came to researching the occasional oddball ghosts that simply didn't want to make it easy for the Ghostbusters to trap them in the containment unit. Their departure left Egon and Ray alone in the lab once again, but although the younger man looked hopefully to his partner for a continuation of their earlier activities Egon was already opening a large filing cabinet and retrieving the extensive index of ghosts and otherworldly spirits. Ray's sigh of disappointment must have been audible since the physicist looked up from the glossary to regard him with a gentle and thoroughly apologetic smile.

"Not how I pictured spending my vacation time."

"I've noticed that any attempts we make to take time off rarely work out as planned, Raymond."

"Think we should just stop trying?"

Slowly Egon set the book aside and approached his seated friend until Ray parted his knees giving the older man space to stand between them, cupping his new lover's jaw for the second time that day and pressing a heartfelt kiss to the shorter brunette's lips. It was tender and brimming with love rather than lust this time around, although Ray felt no less desired than he had hours earlier when pressed beneath the taller man on his childhood bed.

"I am truly sorry, Raymond. I think we need to devote a few hours to looking for Peter's ghost, but tonight we can lock ourselves in the bathroom for a shower if you're still interested."

"Together?"

Egon answered him with a sly smile and this time Ray managed a grin of his own before reaching for a stack of discarded newspapers. Hopefully there would be an announcement or story of some kind that might point them in the right direction. Whatever it was making the animals go berserk at the Central Park Zoo, he had a sneaking suspicion it was probably caused by something large enough to garner at least a little media attention.

Six hours and two pots of coffee later Ray could barely focus his eyes on the black and white typeface, just barely catching himself from falling backwards off of the laboratory stool where he sat tiredly beside his fellow Ghostbuster. The bespectacled scientist seemed perfectly capable of functioning on caffeine and refined sugar, but Ray had to rub his eyes repeatedly lest he fall over and enter dreamland before even reaching the floor. Egon, for all his lack of normal people skills, had noticed his lover fading fast and for Ray's sake the physicist finally closed the Spirit Guide and rose from his seat.

"Find anything?"

Ray wearily forced himself to stand although his eyelids remained at half-mast.

"They're offering a lot of winter discounts and they did some remodeling of the African Safari exhibit this month; nothing unique or out of the ordinary and no mention of reptiles anywhere."

It was rarely ever an easy task recognizing the exact piece of information that they needed let alone finding it once they had a basic idea what they were looking for. Egon's research had turned up only a few far-fetched leads, and without additional data from the PKE and Giga Meters further investigating any of the possible culprits amounted to little more than a waste of time and energy. Rather than push his friend even further past the point of exhaustion, Spengler wrapped a gentle arm around the shorter man's waist and helped Ray up the stairs towards the second floor bedroom that they shared with their fellow Ghostbusters.

"Nn. Shower time?"

"You're exhausted, Raymond."

"No! I really…want to…"

"Shh," Egon cautioned, pointing towards Peter who was fast asleep in his own bed before guiding his partner deeper into the darkened room only to deposit Ray on the younger man's mattress. He did take a minute to press a goodnight kiss to his new lover's lips but before Stantz could deepen the contact into something more suggestive the physicist pulled away eliciting a tired whimper of protest. "We'll have one tomorrow, Ray. I promise."

"Sleep here with me tonight?"

As tempting as the prospect was, Egon darted one glance to the others still asleep in their respective beds and shook his head gently.

"I don't think that's a good idea. Not yet."

"Oh. I guess so."

Thankfully Ray seemed lucid enough to realize what a shock it would be to their partners should Winston or Peter wake to find them curled up together on a single bed. Although Egon was certainly not ashamed of his feelings for the youngest Ghostbuster he figured it would be easier to take each of their coworkers aside separately and have a heartfelt conversation about this so at least they could discuss any reservations that the others might have. Winston was at least moderately Christian and Peter was a devoutly heterosexual playboy. There was really no telling how each of them would respond to the news that Egon and Ray had decided to start a relationship.

The younger scientist seemed reluctant to let Egon leave his bedside, but as his exhaustion mounted Ray's hands finally released the fabric of his lover's shirt and the physicist was able to gently pull away after one last soft caress to the shorter man's hip bidding him goodnight. In retrospect, a lot had happened in just twenty-four hours. In one amazing day, Egon had admitted his feelings for Raymond, his partner had reciprocated the same, in an unexpected sexual frenzy they had just rounded third base and were heading for home when reality poked its ugly head into their private lives yet again leaving both men exhausted and unfulfilled. As much as he wanted to curl up on the bed with Ray in his arms Egon resisted the urge and instead made his way carefully over to the last empty bed, slipping under the covers and commanding his constantly-whirling brain to shut up and sleep.

Rarely did the physicist sleep for more than an hour or two at a time, but on this particular occasion nothing could rouse Egon, not even the sound of Peter stumbling around at dawn in the near darkness and stubbing his toe in the process of getting dressed. It was nearly nine o'clock before the smell of coffee and cigarettes drifting up from the downstairs kitchen managed to lure him out of bed with the promise of caffeine and his favorite sugary cereal. Ray was already awake and judging by the grin on the parapsychologist's face as he poured his lover a cup of the extra-strong Columbian blend Egon could estimate that his friend was already two cigarettes and at least one cup of coffee into his morning routine.

"You do know cigarettes are full of things that can kill you, Raymond."

"Life is full of things that can kill me, and unlike cigarettes life has been proven fatal 100% of the time."

Twisted logic maybe, but every time they had this discussion Egon was left without a follow-up argument and ultimately Ray would just light another cigarette in triumph before joining him at the kitchen table to partake in breakfast together. The smoke itself didn't bother Egon so much as the thought that the younger man was probably shortening his life span in the long run.

"Lung cancer."

"Diabetes."

End of discussion.

Every morning they had the same argument and yet it always ended with Ray puffing idly on his cigarette while watching Egon pour himself a large bowl of what his friend had lovingly termed 'sugar-frosted sugar'. Janine had been shocked the first time she discovered that 90% of all sweet treats in the firehouse were Egon's doing, but to Ray it seemed natural that the older man had to fuel his body on something considering the physicist slept an average of only fifteen minutes a day. Caffeine, even in the quantities that they consumed it, could only do so much and that's where Egon's sugar addiction took over.

"Shower after breakfast?"

It sounded like such an innocent question if anyone had been around and listening in on their conversation, but Ray's socked foot drifted beneath the table to gently brush up under the hem of Egon's slacks and that was enough to convey the full extent of what he was suggesting. The older man never paused scanning the morning paper between bites of cereal but he did offer a nod of agreement for his partner that brought a slight smirk to Ray's lips. There were certain occasions when science and invention could wait and this time it looked like both he and Egon were on the same page.

Hoping that the older man would take the hint and hurry the hell up, Ray stubbed out his cigarette and stretched languidly before making his way back upstairs and into the bathroom. He could certainly turn the water on but there was no telling how long his lover would make him wait. For now, the parapsychologist resigned himself to stripping naked and sitting on the edge of the bathtub waiting for Egon to join him, hopefully sooner rather than later.

He could just make out the faint scrape of a chair sliding backwards on the kitchen floor, could hear the swish of water as Egon rinsed his dishes and then the soft sound of footsteps climbing the stairs at an infuriatingly slow pace. By the time that his lover opened the bathroom door and entered Ray could no longer contain his eagerness, and in seconds Egon found himself pinned between the closed door and his lover's nude body while the shorter man crushed their lips together in a nearly desperate kiss. He could hear Ray slide the bathroom lock into place, but mainly Egon's attention was split between the cigarette-flavored lips moving hungrily against his as well as the younger man's fingers which were now ghosting down his abdomen with a more southerly destination in mind.

"Nnh. Judging by where your hand is I presume that we are skipping the foreplay."

"What do you think we just had?"

"I believe most people refer to it as 'breakfast', Raymond. Don't you think-…a-..ahh…"

Any further suggestions died on Egon's lips as his partner unexpectedly sunk to his knees and began sucking on the physicist's shaft in earnest. Although inexperienced with pleasuring someone, Ray's clumsiness and lack of skill were more than countered by his overall enthusiasm and eagerness to please. Considering how long it had been since Egon's last sexual encounter the scientist was more than willing to forgive his friend's lack of rhythm and an occasional tooth grazing against his most sensitive of areas as long as Ray kept his mouth exactly where it was and continued doing such amazing things with his lips and tongue.

One hand gripped the counter in an effort to stay upright while Spengler's other hand tangled into Ray's hair holding on for dear life. It was utterly perfect and nothing, not even the sudden rapping on the door behind his head could distract him from what was going on below waist level.

"Yo! Peter thinks we've got something huge, maybe even catastrophic on the PKE meter! We really need a second opinion on this one."

Slowly Egon's eyes fluttered open piecing together the words that he had just heard Winston utter from the other side of the door. Ray must have tuned it out entirely, but that left Egon waging a war between mind-blowing pleasure and also annoyance as the rapping and yelling continued from without.

"I'll be..out in a minute."

"Oh, Egon. Great. Do you know where Ray is?"

This time Ray begrudgingly pulled away from his lover's shaft but just as he was about to confirm his presence as well the older man's hand clasped over his mouth and Egon arched an eyebrow at the shorter brunette willing the parapsychologist to stop thinking with his dick for two seconds and use his brain again. It was a moment before understanding crossed Ray's lust-clouded eyes and this time he blushed, having realized that he almost just announced that they were locked in the bathroom together.

"He might be in the lab."

The sound of retreating footfalls and the ensuing silence seemed reason enough for Ray to continue his ministrations on Egon's shaft, but this time the older man begrudgingly tucked himself away into his slacks noting the other Ghostbuster's pained expression as he did so.

"I'm sorry, Ray." Boy, was he ever sorry. "They need our help, but once we have this issued resolved we can head back to Islip for a few hours. I think it might be a good idea to conveniently 'forget' our phones this time around."

Sighing, the younger man nodded his agreement and dressed quickly but he did manage to grab Egon for another deep kiss before departing the bathroom, grinning at the odd expression that came over Spengler's face afterwards. There was even the hint of a blush on his usually unflappable partner's cheeks.

"So, how do you taste, Egon?"

"I'd rather not think about it."

Again loud banging sounded at the door startling them both, but this time it was Venkman yelling from outside.

"C'mon, we're on a tight schedule here! I got a plane to catch tomorrow morning! Sun, sand and gratuitous nudity!"

"Alright already!"

Both men yelled the same words at once, afterwards standing there staring at each other wide-eyed while outside the door there was a moment of contemplative silence.

"…Ray, are you in there too?"

Crap. This wasn't exactly the way that Egon Spengler wanted to announce his newfound relationship with the youngest Ghostbuster to the others, but Ray was standing there frozen like a deer caught in headlights and that left Spengler as the designated excuse-giver.

"Yes, there was…a plumbing problem. …It's fixed now."

"TMI, Spengs. Let's get going, okay? There's something crazy brewing in the African Safari exhibit."

For once Venkman wasn't exaggerating. Egon could scarcely believe the readings on his PKE meter when running it past the tribal carvings and artifacts decorating the new wing, let alone the way his sensor squealed the second that he directed it towards an enormous stone statue, presumably of some African god or another. It would have been a little less awkward maneuvering through the exhibit if the lights had been functioning, but seeing as how the staff had only just started installing their new display it didn't come as a complete surprise that this portion of the exhibit hall was nearly pitch black and required the use of flashlights.

"'Abassi'," Winston shone his light upon the plaque displayed beside the stone altar reading aloud, "'Worshipped by the Efik people in Nigeria as the creator god of all mankind. At his wife Atai's request he created the first man and woman, but when they birthed their own offspring and became creators themselves she punished mankind by introducing death to her husband's creations.'"

"Sounds like a really sweet gal."

History and culture generally didn't interest Venkman as much as psychology did. Those less-desirable areas of study were usually left to the resident eggheads Ray and Egon who were currently crowding Winston away from the plaque to read the remaining text while scanning for any changes in psychokinetic activity. Peter wandered the exhibit fighting a losing battle with complete and utter boredom but something, or rather four somethings, perched on the altar beside a bowl of some tribal greenery caught his eye. At first he took them to be some backwoods, spiritual voodoo puppets, but upon closer examination with his flashlight even Venkman couldn't find his voice for a moment.

"H…Hey guys? …Come take a look at these."

"In a minute, Venkman." Ray's excitement was nearly tangible in the air. "Wow! The psychokinetic energy coming from this statue is incredible!"

"I think it knew we were coming."

Those were generally ominous words, especially considering Venkman's earlier attack confirmed this was not a peaceful spirit that they were dealing with. Slowly the others paused examining the stone deity and instead joined Venkman to shine their own lights upon the voodoo dolls placed perfectly in a row upon the altar, each one different and yet extremely familiar to the men who reached out carefully now to retrieve and examine the puppets up close.

Egon regarded the doll in his hand with a tight-lipped frown. It was primitive, but when he took into account the glasses, a miniature vest and the slate-grey slacks adorning its tiny form there was an uncanny resemblance to the physicist that Egon just couldn't deny. Whatever had left the doll appeared to have also fit it with an eye patch over the left eye and driven a rather wicked-looking pin straight through the center securing it to the face of Egon's tiny doppelganger.

"I don't believe in black magic."

"Egon, wake the fuck up. Doesn't THIS look familiar?" Venkman shoved his own doll into Spenger's face, watching as the older man examined it in silence.

"…This proves nothing."

"Do I gotta spell it out for ya, Spengs?" Subtlety was not Peter's specialty especially in times of great distress, and given that Egon seemed stubbornly determined not to put two and two together today Venkman snatched the doll from the older Ghostbuster's fingers, holding it up beside his own face and shone his flashlight on both to further illuminate the deep scratch marks in his flesh and how they matched those etched into his doll perfectly. "Got the picture now?"

"Ray is the occult expert here, Venkman."

He wasn't ready to admit that there could actually be evil magic at work, at least not until Stantz added his expertise into the equation. It was odd for Ray to remain silent for this long, especially around voodoo or anything having to do with the occult in general, but in shining his flashlight on the brunette next to him Egon felt his heart suddenly sink. The parapsychologist was unmistakably holding his own doppelganger doll, the leather jacket and even a tiny cigarette stuck in its mouth being the main distinguishing characteristics, but the greatest difference was that this miniaturized Ray was missing both arms below the elbow- something that most definitely did not represent the younger Ghostbuster given his current state of wholeness.

Gently Egon laid his hand on the parapsychologist's shoulder trying to reassure him, but instead the youngest jumped for a moment in surprise at the unexpected contact. Even after confirming that it was just his lover's warm palm on his flesh and not a ghost come to maul him Ray still seemed uneasy, which did little to reassure Egon that there was no historical, theological or otherwise valid reason for them to be apprehensive. Out of all of them, Stantz was the most familiar with voodoo and occult rituals. Given the sickened expression on Ray's face as he regarded his miniaturized self with the missing arms Egon began to wonder if maybe there were some things in this world, darker things, that even science and ingenuity could not resolve.

"What does it mean, Ray?"

"Uh…" The youngest Ghostbuster's voice shook slightly, "I'd say Peter already knows what his means, you…you might lose vision in your left eye and…" he trailed off for a moment seeking the courage to voice his own fate, "and…I...I-I'm supposed to lose both my arms somehow. Winston..."

Through all of this their newest member had remained completely silent but now that all three of them shone their lights on Zeddemore they could see the doll in their friend's trembling hand- its head mostly severed and barely hanging on by more than a thread before the shaking caused it to dislodge fully and tumble to the floor. There was no need for Ray to clarify Winston's prophesized fate at this point; the older man was absolutely quaking as a grim understanding sunk in.

That was the moment Winston Zeddemore realized that some jobs were not worth the risks involved.

~ * ~ To Be Continued ~ * ~


End file.
